Air cooling unit and atomizer therefor



W 24, 1940- H. GOODMAN ET! AL 2,215,753

AIR COOLING UNIT AND ATOMIZER THEREFOR Filed July 10, 1939 F7& 1. 45 9/25 ma GOOLWAN VQCHEL 6 u/LLl/v HAM 1 VENTORvS Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES AIR COOLING UNIT AND ATOMIZER THEREFOR Harry Goodman and Vachel S. Dillingham, Oklahoma City, Okla., assignors to R. M. Wolfe,

Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application July 10, 1939, Serial No. 283,608

3 Claims.

This invention relates to evaporation air cooling units, and more particularly to a novel means for atomizing water for such units to increase evaporation.

Most evaporation air cooling units in general use today utilize water sprays to increase evaporation and consequently decrease the dry bulb temperature of the air. Most cities require recirculation of water in such units to conserve the water supply. Water recirculation in turn necessitates the use of a ram or pump together with an electric motor or some other power means independent of the power means for circulating the air. In addition eliminators or filters of some type are used to remove water droplets from the air passing into the room or other closure being cooled. Another type of evaporation air cooling unit uses no water sprays but substitutes comparatively thick filters of excelsior, hair, or similar material, and drips the water downward through the filter material. Evaporation takes place as the air contacts the wet surfaces of the filtering medium. In this type, too, a pump is required to recirculate the water through the filters.

It is the chief object of this invention to provide an air cooling unit in which the water is atomized equally as well as by the recirculating spray system, but in which no pump or ram is required for recirculation or for eflicient atomization. It is a further important object of the invention to provide a complete water atomlzing and recirculating unit which may be substituted for the water handling means in evaporation air cooling units now in use.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of our invention, together with other obljects attending its production, will be better understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, which are chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which Figure 1 is a side sectional view of an atomizing unit which embodies a part of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of one of the two end plates of the atomizing unit shown in Figure 1, and is taken along the line 22 of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is an end view of the atomizing unit illustrated ir- Figure 1 with the end plate of Figure 2 removed;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the end plate illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side sectional view of a complete air cooling unit embodying the invention, showing the atomizing unit of Figure 1 and its operative relation to the complete air cooling unit;

Figure 6 is an end sectional view of the cooling unit illustrated in Figure 5 and further illus trates the operative relation of the atomizing unit to the complete cooling unit;

Figure 7 is an end sectional view of the motor housing or box alone, and shows particularly the manner in which the top fits on said housing.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

Referring more particularly to Figures 5 and 6, the invention includes a housing ID of any desired shape, provided with an inlet H and an outlet l2 of any desired size and shape. At a selected point adjacent the outlet l2 we provide a centrifugal blower fan l3, the outlet of which communicates directly with the housing outlet I2. At selected points between the blower inlet I4 and. the housing inlet II we provide air filters I5 and I6. through which air must pass to reach the blower fan inlet I4. These filters l5 and I6 are preferably formed of respective spaced screens ll, l8 and i9, 20, with any suitable material such as excelsior, animal. hair, spun glass, or charcoal, between the respective screens. We have also discovered by test that the cooling unit operates very efficiently without any filtering material whatever between the screens. In addition to the filters l5 and I6 we provide a screen 2| spanning the inlet H, which screen serves to prevent atomized water within the housing from passing out of the inlet.

The bottom of the housing [0 is made in the ing I0 we provide an atomizing unit which is 49 designated as a whole by the numeral 23, and which is of a size to set inside the water tank 22. This atomizing unit includes a box-like motor housing 24 having an opening 25 in each of its ends. Adjacent the upper edge of each side wall of the housing 24 we provide a plurality of spaced perforations 26 which serve as air holes. A top 21 is provided for this housing 24, said top having downwardly projecting interior parallel ribs 28 and 29 which are adapted to seat on complemental exterior shoulders which extend along the side walls of the housing 24 adjacent their top edges, as clearly shown in Figure 7. The top 21 is provided with a skirt 3!! which is spaced from the ridges 28 and 29 a sufilcient distance topermitfreeair circulationunder theskirt through the perforations and into the interior of the housing. Since both ends of the complete atomising unit 2| are identical, a complete description of one end alone should sufllce to clearly explain this unit.

The opening 25 in the end of the housing 24 isadaptedtobeclosedbyonesurface ofawater wheel housing II, a gasket 32 being placed between the two adjacent surfaces to make the housing water tight. The water wheel housing II is held in position on the end of the housing 24 by means of countersunk screws 22 which screw into threaded perforations 34 in the end wall of the motor housing. The water wheel housing H is preferably cast and includes a bearing box I5, into which a brass bearing 2| is pressed. The bearing U is provided with a slot 31 for receiving oil. The bearing box 35 includes an oil reservoir The water wheel housing ll includes an outwardly extending skirt II which forms the edge wall of the wheel housing. In Figure 3 it will be seen that the upper end of this housing is wider than the lower end, in fact the housing is substantially of triangular shape with the water wheel 4| being mounted near the apex of the triangle. The skirt 2| is, of course, formed arcuately to conform to the shape of the water wheel. This skirt 2| is provided with screw holes 4| which are identically spaced with screw holes 42 of an end plate 4| which forms the other side of the water wheel housing. In other words the end plate 4| and the water wheel housing plate |l arespaced apart by the skirt II and form an open topped trough in which the water wheel 4| rotates. Screws 44 hold the end plate 42 in position on the skirt The end plate includes an integral open topped air duct 45 which communicates at its lower end with a substantially circular opening 4| in the end plate proper. This opening 45 is concentrically positioned with relation to the water wheel 4|. The outer wall of the air duct 45 carries an integral water conduit 41. This water conduit may be located at any desired point with relation to the water wheel 4|, but we prefer to locate it in the position shown in Figure 2. The outer end of this conduit communicates with the atmosphere while the interior end of this conduit is positioned at a point closely adjacent the inner ends of the vanes 4| of the water wheel 4|, so that when the atomizing unit is placed in the water tank 22, water is conducted by gravity through the conduit and fed to the water wheel 4|. We prefer to locate this water conduit 41 so that its inner end projects through the air opening 45, so that air passing through the conduit 45 to the center of the water wheel will aid in pulling water through the conduit to the wheel. The atomizer will work eillciently, however, if water is fed into the water wheel housing from any point, even at its bottom.

The water wheel 4|, as clearly shown in Figure 3, includes a plurality of radially extending axially disposed vanes 4|, the outer ends of which are provided with forwardly projecting portions 4|. Since the clearance between the forwardly projecting portions 4! of the vanes on this water wheel and the arcuate portion of the skirt 39 is very small, water which enters the trough at any point will be picked up by these forwardly projecting portions and thrown out the open upper end of the trough. The wheel 4| is nonrotatably mounted in a suitable manner on a saunas shaft 5| which is journaled in the bearing M. An oil and water impervious plastic or fiber washer 5| serves to seal between the interior of the water wheel trough and the end of the bearing That end of the shaft opposite the water wheel 4| is provided with an elongated longitudinally extending slot 52 for permitting a slight longitudinal movement of the shaft within a cylindrical flexible coupling 5|. One end of the coupling is slipped over the slotted end of the shaft 5| and a cotter pin 54 is passed through the slot 52. This prevents relative rotation between the shaft and the coupling but affords longitudinal movement for the shaft. A spring 55 has one of its ends bearing against the bearing I5 and its opposite end against a washer 55, which washer is held in position by a cotter pin 51. The spring ll'thus normally serves to keep the water impervious washer 5| pressed tightly against the adjacent end of the bearing 35 to prevent leakage of water from the water wheel housing into the interior of the motor housing 24.

A motor 5| is positioned within the motor housing 24 with the motor shaft in alinement with the shaft 5|. The opposite end of the flexible coupling 52 is slipped over the end of the motor shaft 5| and a non-rotatable connection is made by means of a cotter pin 5| passing through the coupling 52 and the motor shaft, a space being left between the end of the motor shaft and the adjacent end of the shaft to permit longitudinal movement of the latter shaft. The opposite end of the atomizing unit 2| is constructed of corresponding parts throughout, and it is not believed necessary to give a complete description of this opposite end.

As illustrated in both Figures 5 and 6, the atomizing unit 22 is adapted to be placed in the water tank 22. The tank 22 is connected with a source of supply 5| and the flow of water into the tank from this source of supply is controlled preferably by a float valve 52 operated by a float 0. The water in the tank may thus be maintained at a substantially constant level, and since the edge walls of the tank are approximately the same height as the open end of the water wheel trough of the atomizer, there is no danger of the water overflowing into the interior of the water wheel trough or into the air duct 45. The motor is started and water flows by gravity through the water conduits 41, into each of the water wheel troughs and is picked up by the water wheels 42.

While it is true that centrifugal force would throw this water from the respective wheels, we have found by test that centrifugal force alone will neither properly atomize the water,

nor evenly distribute the water droplets in the air. It is for these reasons that we have built these water wheels to act as small blower fans, and have provided comparatively large air ducts to feed air to the center of these wheels. By the combined use of air moving at high speed and centrifugal force, the water which is fed to the wheels is very finely atomized, and is thrown from the wheels out the open upper ends of the respective troughs and is evenly distributed in a fog across the entire cross sectional area of the housing III, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. In other words, regardless of the direction of rotation of the wheels, there is substantially the same amount of atomized water distributed to one side of the housing I 0 as is distributed to the other. side, and the fine particles of water are thrown against the sides and top of the housing with such force that they bounce back into the air and fill practically the entire air space inside this housing. The atoms are so fine that a fog is formed, which fog circulates in the housing much the same as smoke would do, making it impossible for air to pass from the inlet Ii to the fan intake l4 without passing through this fog.

with the blower fan I! operating, air is drawn through the inlet opening, through the screen 2|, through the atomized water, through the filter l5, through a second mass of atomized water, through the filter l6, into the blower fan and out into the room through the housing outlet l2. The filters i5 and I, as previously stated, remove the water droplets from the air before it reaches the fan l3. Evaporation takes place within the. housing l and greatly decreases the dry bulb temperature of the air before it reaches the fan.

While we have described and illustrated a specific embodiment of our invention, we are aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited, except by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A portable air humidifying unit adapted to be placed in a tank or pan of water and to obtain its water therefrom, comprising: a comparatively high walled motor housing; a transverse partition at one end of the housing dividing the housing into adjacent compartments, one for a motor and one for a centrifugal water wheel, both compartments being open at the top; a motor mounted in one of said compartments; a centrifugal water wheel rotatably mounted in the other of said compartments and adapted to be driven by said motor through said partition; sealing means to prevent the passage of water from the water wheel compartment into the motor compartment; and a water passage through an outside wall of the water wheel compartment for admitting water thereto from said tank during the rotation of the wheel.

2. A portable air humidiiying unit adapted to be placed in a tank or pan of water and to obtain its water therefrom, comprising: a com paratively high walled open topped housing which includes a motor compartment, 8. centrifugal water wheel compartment having one of its walls common to one wall of said motor compartment, and an air duct having one of its walls common to one wall of said water wheel compartment; a motor mounted in said motor compartment; a centrifugal water wheel in said water wheel compartment; a driving connection between said motor and said water wheel; packing means for preventing the entry of water into said motor compartment from the water wheel compartment around said driving connection as it rotates; a water passage thru a. wall of said water wheel compartment for admitting water to the compartment from the tank or pan in which the complete unit may be seated; and a perforation in the wall which is common to the water wheel and air duct compartments for admitting air into the water wheel compartment during rotation of the water wheel.

3. An air humidifying unit which includes: a narrow water wheel trough the bottom of which is arcuate in cross section, one edge wall of which lies in a plane tangential to said arouate bottom, and the opposite edge wall of which lies in a plane which is secant to said arcuate bottom and in divergent relation to said first mentioned plane; and a centrifugal water wheel rotatably mounted in said trough, its radius being substantially the same as the radius of said arcuate bottom, and being so mounted that its periphery is evenly spaced only a very slight distance from said arcuate bottom during rotation of the wheel, and said wheel including a plurality of spaced vanes the outer ends of which are turned forward in the direction of rotation of the wheel so as to better pick up any water in the bottom of said trough.

HARRY GOODMAN. VACHEL S. DILLINGHAM. 

